Fawcett died Thursday after long battle with cancer

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The blonde bombshell grew up in Texas before making her way to Hollywood.

The Hollywood publicist who discovered Farrah Fawcett, whose blond hair, stunning looks and beautiful smile made her a Hollywood icon, shared fond memories of the icon before she became an "Angel."

Fawcett lost her battle with cancer in a Santa Monica hospital on Thursday. She became a household name in the 1970s even before she starred in "Charlie's Angles" after posing in a red bathing suit for a now-famous poster.

Publicist David Mirisch, who lives in Carlsbad now and takes credit for discovering Fawcett, said on Thursday that he first saw her picture when he judged a Texas beauty pageant. Eventually, he convinced Fawcett's parents to let her come to Hollywood in the late '60s.

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"I saw a very, very wholesome, gorgeous, unaffected young woman who had been raised, obviously, with good parents, and was well-brought-up and had perfect manners and just wholesome sweetness," Mirisch said.